Consuming Fears
by MadInsaneLoveable
Summary: Jack is woken by Pitch from another nightmare. He can't take them anymore. They will never go away. He asks for Pitch to do something drastic but Pitch can't agree to it; he doesn't want Jack to be like him.


**Author's Notes:** Hey, hey. Just a little one-shot about Jack and his nightmares. Don't worry, Pitch will be there to comfort him. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. All rights to original owners.

**Summary:** Jack is woken by Pitch from another nightmare. He can't take them anymore. They will never go away. He asks for Pitch to do something drastic but Pitch can't agree to it; he doesn't want Jack to be like him.

* * *

**Consuming Fears**

It consumed him. Fear. It dug right down into him, pulling at his soul, burning the corners of his mind. It was going to eat away until there was nothing left. It would destroy him. It would break him. Bubbling through his veins, touching very fibre in his being. It wouldn't stop until it won.

Very few things frightened Jack. He had already lived through the worst; his mind was protected. Besides, the Bogeyman was there to comfort him, defend him. When he was with him, Jack felt safe. But when he was alone, it was different. When he was alone, that's when his fears resurface. Such as in his dreams. While he dreamt, his mind was unguarded and the fear crept in.

Pitch always told him that it was difficult to influence his dreams. Mainly because they began as nightmares to start with, so hard to control since they were already strong. Also, Jack wasn't entirely alive, not fully a part of the human world or part of the deceased. He was in between and so, even though he died at a young age, it was hard to penetrate the blockade of dreams. They were so lucid, so powerful. That's when his fears kicked in.

And there was nothing that Jack feared more than drowning. It terrified him. The cause of his death yet the reason he still existing now. Most night he would, in his dreams, he would see the most terrible images, relive the most awful memories but when the nightmare turned to drowning, he knew his dreams had made a turn for the worse. Pitch tells him he would thrash and scream, begging for it to stop.

This night was no different. He was being held underwater by an invisible force. He was immortal, yet in his mind, while he dreamed, he was so fragile. He had to get out. He needed to wake up. He had to wake up. Where was Pitch? He needed to be saved. He needed the Nightmare King to take the fears away.

"_Wake me up."_ He mind begged.

"_Please save me."_ Could nobody hear him?

"_Make it stop!"_ He couldn't bear it any longer!

The fear was closing in, ready to consume.

His screams rung through the dark. Loud and fearful. Pitch woke instantly, sensing Jack's fear. It was _invigorating_. But he couldn't think about that now. His precious little snowflake was in pain; needing to be woken from his troubling dreams.

Gently, he reached over and nudged Jack's shoulder. "Jack." He whispered. "Wake up, pet."

Jack's screamed died down into soft whimpers as he tossed back and forth. "Jack, please open your eyes." Pitch shook Jack a little harder.

The boy finally stopped struggling and frantically opened his eyes. They swept around the room before focusing on the man next to him. "Pitch?" he mumbled coarsely. "Am I awake?"

Pitch nodded. "The dreams are gone, Jack." He promised. "They can't hurt you."

_Not now but how soon until they do? _

Jack shuddered. What happened if Pitch was too late to wake him up? Would he die? No, that's impossible. Dreams can't harm you; they can't kill you. Then what did they do? Destroy your mind? Feed off your fear? Take over your humanity?

Cool tears glided down Jack's cheeks. He didn't that to happen. He didn't want his dreams to hurt him.

Warm arms wove their way around him. Jack felt himself enveloped into Pitch's dark embrace. "Don't cry, precious." Pitch crooned. "It's gone now. I'm here. I won't hurt you."

Jack's fear was driving him mad. Not even children sent off such radiating fright. He had to focus. Jack needed to be comforted, to be held. He didn't want Jack to be hurting. This happened so often yet it wasn't getting any better. There had to be something that would give Jack peaceful dreams. Maybe the Sandman could help.

Jack interrupted Pitch's musings. "Can I ask you something?" he spoke softly, almost shyly.

"You can ask me anything." Pitch assured.

"Can you take my dreams away?" Jack asked.

Pitch's furrowed. "Oh, Jack..." he didn't know what to say. "I can't..."

"You told me you could." Jack pressed.

"With a great deal of effort but...I couldn't do that to you, Jack." Pitch sighed. "Everyone needs to dream. It's good for the soul, good for the mind. We lose ourselves if we don't dream."

Jack shook his head firmly. "Please, Pitch, take them away. I want to be like you." He begged. "You don't feel any of that. I don't want this; I can't take it anymore. Make me like your Fearlings, your Nightmares, like you. Please, Pitch! Anything has to be better than this."

The Bogeyman looked sorrowful. "You don't want to be like me, Jack." He said quietly.

"I don't want to hurt anymore!" Jack broke down into sobs.

Pitch didn't say anything for a long time. He just sat there, holding Jack tightly.

"Oh, snowflake." He hushed, breaking the silence. "I'm so sorry, Jack. I am. I don't like seeing you in pain. So unlike you. You're so cheerful and lively...which is why I can't – I won't take your dreams away or do anything else along those lines. But I assure you that I will be with you whenever you are afraid. Remember that, pet."

Jack sniffed. "Promise?"

Pitch nodded. "I promise."

This comforted Jack, just a little. Slowly, his mind cleared and he realised what he just asked for. Had he really resorted to nearly giving up his soul just for peace of mind? No, Pitch would never do that to him. Taking deep breaths, Jack eventually calmed down. The nightmares were gone. At least until he fell asleep again. What now? Just sit around and wait for another bad dream to drive him insane?

"Jack, what are you thinking about?" Pitch questioned, feeling the boy's tension.

"I don't want to go back to sleep." Jack admitted.

Pitch thought for a moment. "Well, you're a spirit so you don't necessarily _need_ to sleep." He pointed out.

Jack frowned. "But I feel exhausted if I don't."

"Hmm, that's true." Pitch hummed.

The teen bit his lip, unsure on what to do. "Can you try to enter my dreams?" he gave Pitch his most pleading look.

Pitch rolled his eyes. "That won't work on me." He paused. "Besides, it's an arduous effort."

"Oh, that's right." Jack lowered his eyes.

""But I will try." Pitch assured.

Jack looked up at the older man. He gave Jack a small smile which he returned. Jack felt safer, he wasn't sure why. There was a very low chance Pitch would be able to influence his dreams. Although, just the thought of Pitch being there, focusing on him, trying to help him; it made Jack feel a lot better. Something told him that Pitch would chase the nightmares away.

"Thank you, Pitch. I mean it, you don't know how much better I feel." He told the Nightmare King.

"Anything for you, my precious." He pressed a kiss to Jack's forehead. "Now, rest. I'll be here."

Jack smiled sleepily. He nestled deeper into Pitch's arms.

They dreams would stay away forever. They would come back; ready to frighten him though Jack didn't worry about that. At that moment, his shadowy protector was there, holding them back. Gradually, Jack was drawn into a numbing, blissful sleep. Of course, Pitch wasn't there but it didn't matter because neither were his nightmares. Finally he could rest peacefully.

The fear would slowly close in someday but it wouldn't dare consume him. Not as long as Pitch was there.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Poor Jack, plagued by bad dreams. Oh well, Pitch will save him. Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review. Until next time...


End file.
